What is your final approach speed with a wind speed reported at 10 knots gusting to 20 knots?

To determine the final approach speed in this scenario, it’s important to consider how wind affects flight performance, particularly during the approach phase. The primary factors to include are the steady wind speed and any gusts, which can influence the choice of approach speed.

In this case, the reported wind speed is 10 knots gusting to 20 knots. When calculating the final approach speed, pilots typically consider not just the steady wind but also adjust for gusts. A common practice is to add half of the gust factor to the final approach speed to maintain control and avoid fluctuations in speed during the landing. Here, the gust is 10 knots (from 10 to 20 knots), so half of that is 5 knots.

When the base approach speed is determined (often based on aircraft weight, configuration, etc.), adding this adjusted 5 knots to the chosen approach speed helps ensure safe handling and stability during the final approach. If the appropriate baseline approach speed is identified as 105 KIAS, incorporating the gust adjustment would result in 110 KIAS being the safe final approach speed. Hence, option B is a well-calculated choice given the conditions.

In summary, option B reflects an adjusted approach speed that effectively accounts for the changing wind